RIFLE RANGE BOY

A jocular Tamil proverb sarcastically portrays a man who denies losing his balance and falling flat on his face on the ground. He would show the people around him a clean moustache devoid of sand. The man hoped the others would believe he was a macho man who never fell. (குப்புற விழுந்தாலும் மீசையில் மண் ஒட்டவில்லை  - the said proverb.) This proverb has been playing in my mind over the past few days during the recently paused India-Pakistan War.  It started with a band of terrorists crossing over from Pakistan, killing 26 tourists just because they were not Muslims and retreating back into Pakistan. Pakistan vehemently denied being part of the killing or even harbouring any terrorists at all in their country. This heart-wrenching moment, especially the one involving a 6-day married honeymooning couple and a father shot in front of his wife and young son, stirred India to take retaliatory actions. Both sides flaunted their military toys, and the war games were flagged off. The...

Life evolves. The new replaces the old, and fresh ideas overshadow previous ones. What was once an avant-garde style one day may appear unattractive the next. We sometimes feel embarrassed by the clothes we wear and the trends we embrace decades after models showcased them on the catwalk. Trends come and go constantly. Species become extinct at a background rate of one species per million each year. Human activities, such as habitat destruction and chemical pollution, have accelerated this decline by hundreds or thousands of times. https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/05/14/will-dire-wolves-stalk-streets/ This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License .

Good Bad Ugly (Tamil; 2025) Story and Direction: Adhik Ravichandran https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/chennai/good-bad-ugly/ET00431346 I remember watching a movie on TV back in the day, under the watchful eyes of Amma. I remember it was a MGR starring Tamil movie. In one of his stereotypical roles, he, the do-gooder who fought against the evil zamindar, goes to jail at the movie's end for killing the villain. In the last scene, he returns home just to be feted with praise, showers of flower petals, and salutations. Amma was quick to interject. "What rubbish! He went to jail, and people are celebrating!" I thought, "… but Gandhi and Nehru also went to jail, and you have a statue of them in the house and tell us stories of how we should emulate them." Thanks to my better judgment, I decided to keep my opinions to myself.  That was how most Tamil movies used to be. The protagonist was the epitome of goodness. He was usually the exemplary one-dimensional character ex...

Revelations (Korean, 2025) Director:  Yeon Sang-ho Although the ratings for this one were not very encouraging, the storyline made its viewers think. No one knows the right course of action or what is contained in their recipe for good deeds. We merely drag our unfortunate selves along, clinging to straws, persuading ourselves that our actions are virtuous. No one can say whether our actions will lead to the best outcome in the grand scheme. The movie explores what goes through the minds of three individuals who are somehow involved in the killing of a young girl and the kidnapping of another. There is a possible paedophile out on parole, wearing an ankle monitor. He seems to be following a young girl who enters a church. The paedophile follows into the church. The pastor notices him as a newcomer to the church and tries to woo him to join the congregation. The pastor has a lot on his plate. He hopes to be promoted to a larger church, and he is troubled by his wife's infidelity. On...

Crazxy (Hindi; 2025) Written and Directed by:  Girish Kohli https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/bollywood-movies/ crazxy-movie-review-71820.html When Girish Kohli shared his story, nobody believed it would sell. The idea of a lone man driving around in a car telling his story did not excite them. Therefore, Kohli turned to Sonny Shah, who agreed to finance and play the lead role. The end result turned out to be a real head-turner and an edge-of-the-seat, high-octane thriller. It is a road movie of a different kind, where most of the action and storytelling take place within the confines of the car, on the highway, and through phone conversations. There are a few flashbacks and a video conference; otherwise, Sonum Shah is the only actor in the film. In the finale, his teenage daughter makes a brief, touching appearance. The caller ID images provide us with a rough idea of the other character's demeanour and role in their life. I recall an instance when a medical officer, a mother, was ...

The Doors (1991) Director: Oliver Stone After the death of Val Kilmer, in my mind, Kurt Russell's doppelgänger, I thought it was only natural that I perused some of the movies he acted in. I am familiar with his famous roles in Batman and Top Gun, but his role as Jim Morrison, a member of the 'Club of 27', was new to me. So, I gave it a go. My friend PS grew up under the influence of Jim Morrison of the Doors in the late '60s. He was so inspired by Morrison that he took up strumming the guitar and was mesmerised by his genius. He was too clever to be caught up in psychedelics and intoxicants like his hero and turned out quite alright. He is now a retired professor enjoying his twilight years and the fruits of his labour throughout his life. They say the good die young. God takes the good away because He wishes to place them beside Him. They also claim there is an unceasing flow of harp music and revelry around the clock due to the Club of 27 and the many great performer...

Vanavaas (Exile, Hindi; 2025) Director: Anil Sharma I was watching this Hindi movie with my wife. It was a melodramatic film in true Bollywood style, invoking filial piety or at least making children feel guilty for not caring for their elderly parents in their twilight years. Sending elderly parents to specialised institutions to cater to their specific needs was never in any Indian dictionary. The aged father, a widower who still resides in the home of his deceased wife, is suffering from worsening dementia. Despite his physical incapacity, he is a proud man with his own ways of doing things and is caustic with his words. He had built a beautiful house and amassed other properties. He lives with his three adult children, their respective wives, and their children. The father is still determined to be the head of the extended family and makes crucial family decisions. Probably due to their upbringing, the sons remain silent about the father's tantrums and idiosyncrasies. The wives...